NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 8:
Chapter 8: Leaked Information and Hidden Motives:
“Do you have more? Are there more stories?”
After hearing the story, Princess Qianrou tilted her little head and eagerly asked.
“Of course, there are more stories, but it’s getting late. I shall take my leave for now. If there’s time in the future, I’ll return to Luoxia Palace to tell Princess Qianrou more stories.”
“Really?”
“Naturally.”
…
What Shen Yuan didn’t know was that his act of telling stories to Princess Qianrou had already been reported to the Empress by Princess Qianrou’s tutor.
“You mean to say Shen Yuan brought some gifts to Luoxia Palace and even happily told Qianrou stories?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. I don’t understand what the Prime Minister is thinking.”
The Empress frowned slightly.
“Shen Yuan, Shen Yuan… what are you plotting?”
“I understand. Notify the informant I’ve placed in the Shen family. Have them monitor Shen Yuan’s every move and report to me immediately!”
“Also, summon Shen Yuan to see me!”
“Understood!”
Upon receiving the Empress of Yaochi’s summons, Shen Yuan smirked inwardly. The Empress was indeed keeping a close eye on him. He had barely spent time in Luoxia Palace before being summoned.
It seemed she really wanted to keep him under her watchful eye.
…
In the Imperial Study.
“Your humble servant greets Your Majesty.”
“Rise.”
“May I ask why Your Majesty has summoned me?”
“My loyal subject, I heard you went to Luoxia Palace? That’s my youngest sister Qianrou’s residence. What business did you have with her?”
“Princess Qianrou is lively, adorable, and utterly charming. To be honest, I have a fondness for children. Sadly, none of the children in my family are as clever and mischievous as Princess Qianrou. I truly envy her…”
Shen Yuan lied without batting an eye.
The Empress silently criticized him inwardly but responded outwardly with, “I never would have guessed this side of you. The world always speaks of the Prime Minister as ruthless, decisive, and cruel, yet here you are, professing your love for children.”
“It seems the world has misunderstood me! Your Majesty, I must confess, I am a devout man, compassionate at heart. I tread lightly to avoid harming even ants and cherish the lives of moths near the lampshade. I truly don’t know why people think I’m heartless and cruel. It must be because some schemers in court are eager to tarnish my reputation…”
“Of course, my dedication to fairness and justice inevitably offends many. But such baseless accusations? I pay them no mind.”
The corner of the Empress’s mouth twitched subtly. Compassionate at heart? Compassionate enough to gouge out your cousin’s eyes? Compassionate enough to annihilate the entire Cangxing Sect? Compassionate enough to stop at nothing against your enemies?
The Empress hadn’t expected such shamelessness from him!
No matter how she probed, Shen Yuan steadfastly avoided revealing his true motives for meeting Princess Qianrou.
This man was too cautious… At his age, he already had the cunning of a seasoned fox. It seemed that deviousness was indeed hereditary. Shen Yuan’s father had been notoriously sly in court in his time…
Perhaps irritated by Shen Yuan, the Empress scoffed lightly and said something she would regret for the rest of her life.
“If you’re so compassionate, why did you gouge out Shen Xiao’er’s eyes? I heard she and Qin Yang from the White Cloud Sect were in love. Why didn’t you bless their union?”
As soon as she finished speaking, the Empress realized her mistake.
How careless!
Shen Yuan’s lips curved into a faint, meaningful smile. “Family discipline must have made me a laughingstock. There’s an old saying, ‘Better to destroy ten temples than ruin one marriage.’ I simply wanted to help them.”
“However, the nation has its laws, and families have their rules. Since she wanted to leave the Shen family to marry Qin Yang, it was only right for the Shen family’s Thousand Illusion Spirit Eyes to be reclaimed. Out of consideration for her being family, I didn’t demand repayment for the resources the Shen family invested in her over the years.”
“But the Thousand Illusion Spirit Eyes? Those couldn’t leave with her. So, I had no choice but to take that drastic step…”
Seeing that Shen Yuan only explained the matter without elaborating further, the Empress grew suspicious. Had he not caught on?
How could he not? Shen Yuan’s cunning was unparalleled. But even if he understood, his expression remained unchanged.
Heh. The incident with Shen Xiao’er had barely occurred, yet the Empress already knew about it?
Qin Yang had returned to the White Cloud Sect, Pei Duan had gone back to the Pei family, and the Shen family members were all within the Shen family.
How had the Empress learned of this?
It seemed the Empress had placed someone within the Shen family… someone she trusted enough to relay such information promptly.
Outwardly, Shen Yuan maintained his composure, but inwardly, he was already listing all the suspicious individuals within the Shen family.
Who could the Empress’s informant be?
Shen Bin? No, it couldn’t be him. Although he eventually betrayed the Shen family, that only happened later in the original plot, after Shen Xiao’er persuaded him by revealing her demonic heritage.
If not Shen Bin, then who…
Without the omniscience of an author’s perspective, being a villain was indeed challenging.
Sadly, most readers only enjoy watching the protagonist triumph, build a harem, and humiliate their enemies. Who cares about the joys and sorrows of villains like Shen Yuan?
Even if Shen Yuan was the final boss, he was merely an experience bag for the protagonist to claim in the end.
“Your Majesty, if there’s nothing else, may I take my leave?”
“Ah… Yes.”
Realizing she couldn’t extract anything from Shen Yuan, the Empress decided not to waste more time.
Once back in his carriage, You Ruo noticed Shen Yuan’s somber expression.
“Master, did the Empress give you trouble?”
Shen Yuan closed his eyes, sighed deeply, and shook his head before motioning for her to remain silent.
You Ruo clenched her fists.
Once the carriage left the imperial city, Shen Yuan finally spoke. “From now on, within the imperial city, refer to her as ‘Her Majesty.’”
You Ruo nodded.
“Master, your expression looks awful.”
“Hmph. Do you think I’d look good? I just took Shen Xiao’er’s eyes, and now the Empress knows about it. Heh…”
You Ruo quickly connected the dots. “Master, this means there’s someone within the Shen family working for the Empress…”
“Hmph.” Shen Yuan’s expression darkened. “Let’s hope I don’t find out who it is. If I do, they’ll learn the true meaning of living hell!”